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Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Children’s Book Week is celebrated from May 13-19 in 2013.
This year, the Kauai Children’s Authors Guild is doing something a little
different. Members are working to develop a day devoted to literacy on Kauai. This
project is in the early stages of development, but Guild members hope to gain
support and partner with other agencies around the island and the state as they
get closer to a date sometime next year.

The Kauai Children’s Authors Guild recognizes the importance
of early childhood education and the need to support literacy efforts on Kauai.
The Guild is proposing the creation, proclamation, and designation of a day devoted
to promoting literacy on Kauai. For now, we are calling this day, “Read Across
Kauai Day,” but it could also be called “Kauai Literacy Day.” We would like to
model this day after the efforts of organizations like Jumpstart and First
Books, Read for the Record, and Read Across America Day.

The idea is to partner with a non-profit agency to help
raise funds for the purchase and distribution of children’s books by Kauai authors
to preschool and kindergarten students attending schools on Kauai. Why not just
any books? Guild members feel that the impact of meeting and interacting with
local authors far surpasses just handing a child a book. However, the Kauai
Children’s Authors Guild will also be partnering with other organizations like
KART (Kids are Readers Too Foundation) to provide additional books to the
children that may not be written by local authors, but could be read and
delivered by local authors.

The effort would be to raise awareness about the importance
of both literacy and early childhood education. Children that are sent home
with books would be given information about the program and would be encouraged
to read books with their parents. Members of the Kauai Children’s Authors Guild
would be available to appear in schools to read their books to children on the
day of the event. When an author interacts with a child, there becomes a
personal connection with the book. Allowing children to actually meet and
interact with local authors can make a further impact on the children about
literacy, not just about reading but also about encouraging creativity through
writing and artistic expression.

The goal for the first year is to raise enough funds to put 500-1000
books in student’s hands. For future years, the goal is to get a book to every
preschool and Kindergarten student on Kauai.

Any nonprofit agency, literacy organization, retailer, volunteer, or corporate sponsors that would like to help the Kauai Children’s Authors Guild put books
into the hands of children is encouraged to contact the Guild at
lucidhawaii@mac.com.

Hooked on Phonics

Aloha and welcome to the Kauai Children's Authors guild. Here you can find out what local authors are doing in our community. Learn about their books, appearances and how they are helping to promote literacy.